I think that's a very reasonable and level headed post.ESFSAFC wrote:StokeFan wrote:ESFSAFC wrote:Imagine if it was another referee. I can see a few of the current refs not booking ADM which would have meant they stay at 11 and even some refs falling for Janu's dive after a whole game of Rooney and Young screaming in your face.
The amount of cheating and trying to con the ref was embarassing at least ADM will miss the game against spurs and I think Utd will get a fine, they received 5 yellows if I remember right which I think means a fine.
Let's be realistic here. United aren't the only team who have done that. I've seen Arsenal do that a few times, and Chelsea, and certainly Liverpool. Diving is one thing, getting in the refs face and appealing for everything is unfortunately another one of those modern day football traits that is poisoning our game. We all hate it, but the powers that be have absolutely no interest in removing it. For one, it allows teams in the big 4 (i.e. you being one of them,) to stay where they are, because ultimately, when you look at the end of the season and these independent websites collate all the data about refs, you see that Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd and fast catching them, Man Citeh, get more 50/50 decisions than those below them, and also more contentious/controversial big decisions, i.e. penalties, off-side goals etc. Just look the other week, was it Hull? You certainly can't be saying the ref didn't give you the rub of the green that game.
Ultimately, it was nice to see a ref make big calls like he did last night. I wonder if the opposition had been someone else, I dunno, say Stoke City, whether he would have made the same calls. I'll give you the answer rather than beat around the bush.... No. He would have probably let Di Maria stay on the pitch, he'd have probably given a free kick for the Di Maria dive and probably a penalty for the Janu dive.
When we're on an even playing field and we see these big calls going for teams outside the top 4, then we'll see a big shift in the opinion of referees. Right now, the powers that be really don't want that to happen.
Will try and remain as unbiased as possible but in the years I've supported Arsenal I don't recall many times where we have surrounded a referee with 3+ players, had players diving or been asking for players to get sent off. Has it happened yes, but no where near enough to single us out from every other club in this league and others.
In that time I would say we have had RVP, go down easy at times maybe twice, Eduardo once which was still blown out of proportion and Eboue who probably did it three times and was the highest. All three of them left ages ago and I can't think of another Arsenal player since then or currently who dives and definitely not like how Man Utd have been this year. I don't consider Wilshere a diver or a cheat he's just a short guy that holds onto the ball too long who a 12 year old could knock down.
Do top four get more decisions yes but they still do get decisions against them but reason we know about them is that most events involving a top four club gets huge attention from the media, front page/back page so we hear about them more than say if it was involving a West Brom and a Crystal Palace. Another point to take into account is that the top four clubs do attack the most, create the most chances and can get up the pitch the fastest and most frequently which usually means more decisions for the ref to make that sometimes they give to the attacking side.
I'm not going to deny that the big clubs are most likely against video replays and the introduction of technology into the game which is a shame.
I'll say this, Cazorla has a knack for going down, and Wilshere for me overruns the ball and then goes down when he's got no other option. He tends to get those decisions because he looks like a skillful player therefore, it looks as those he's been fouled. For me, Giroud also has a tendency to dive. For a big guy, he spent the entire game at the Brit throwing himself around, trying to get decisions. Apart from Charlie's cowardly stamp last season, there hasn't been a bad tackle on Giroud between us two, but he really seems to take the whole throwing himself to the ground lark seriously. Diving doesn't necessarily have to be throwing yourself down in the box. Those middle of the park 50/50's I've always felt some Arsenal players prefer to be half-hearted and then claim a free kick. I can name a few.
Regarding surrounding the ref, I wouldn't say you're as other teams we've played although I don't like some of the card waving that I've seen from Arsenal in the past. Cesc was a f***er for that and Nasri infuriated me. Both have gone, so I can't hold you to that too much, but it does still exist. Can't say I've seen it in too much in the the last two years though. There was certainly some angry reaction over the Walters penalty though which was as clear a penalty as you'll see.
We're all naturally biased when it comes to our own clubs and diving. We hate it when others do it, and we all like to say ours don't do it. For years, I genuinely believed Stoke were the only team in the Prem not to employ diving, especially because Pulis is seriously strict in how he deals with it, but this year I cannot say the same applies. Diouf against Newcastle the other week was a foul, but it was so clear as day that he went down looking for it. Not nice to see.
Certainly you're not the worst, I'd say Liverpool are. They infuriate me, all of them including f***ing Gerrard.